Push-rake.



E. 0. SMITH.

PUSH RAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

1,130,032. Patented M21112, 191 5.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M M A THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTQLITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. Cv

E. 0. SMITH.

PUSH RAKE.

APPLIQATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HE NORRIS PETERS CD., PHOTO L!THC'. WASHINGTON. D. C.

E. GHSMITH.

PUSH RAKE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1911.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 HE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHC WASHING TON L7v C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST 0. SMITH, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ACME HARVESTING MACHINE ('30., OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

PUSH-RAKE.

Application filed July 20, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. SMITH, citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Push-Rakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of farming tools known as rakes and particularly of the push-rake type or in which the rake teeth are arranged in front of the horses.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a structure by which the rake teeth can be raised with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator.

Another object is to provide a structure which results in the easy lifting of a loaded rake head with a minimum of effort and at the same time will have provision for positively holding the points of the teeth upon the ground including provision for permitting what might be called a floating action of said teeth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a peculiar form of latching means for holding the teeth in a raised position. And besides the above objects the invention relates to certain details of construction that will appear herein aided by the accompany ing drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of a rake including my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the forward end of the rake. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of part of the rake frame and a caster wheel drawn on a much larger scale. F ig. A is a rear elevation of a casting to hold a caster wheel and shown on a still larger scale. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the operating parts used for lifting the rake head. Fig. 6 shows an attachment for the machine fra ne in perspective. Fig. 7 is a view similar to that in Fig. 5 showing the parts in a slightly difl'erent position. Fig. 8 is the same shown in another position. Fig. 9, in perspective, shows some of the working parts, and Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of two of the parts shown in Fig. 9 taken on line X X of that figure.

It is well known to those familiar with rakes of this type that many, if not all of them, are almost unmanageable in that the Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 639,677.

system of leverages is so arranged that the strength of the operator is taxed to the utmost to raise the rake teeth especially when loaded. But even when there is no load on the teeth the operator is called upon to exert great effort in handling the tool. It is with this in view that I have devised a structure requiring but very little effort on the part of the operator, great assistance being fur-l nished him by the pull of the horses which, however, is not new in itself, and by a spring all of which will be brought out herein.

The frame of the rake is composed of two members A supported at their rear ends upon caster wheels B, and at their forward ends upon wheels C in any usual or preferred manner. In the present instance the members are secured on a bar D extending across the rake head made up of the teeth E and the cross member F. The rake head is preferably suspended from the said bar D so as to pivot thereon whereby the teeth can rock vertically as is customary.

G is a cross-bar connecting the rear ends of the frame members A and upon each end of this is pivoted a double-tree H, the outer end of each of which carries the usual swingle tree J. The inner adjacent ends of the double trees are connected through links K to a reach consisting of connecting-rods L whose forward ends are pivotally secured to a part of the rake head in any usual manner by means of which the rake-teeth may be tilted vertically. The said links K are attached to the said reach bymeans of straps K preferably though other means may be employed.

M M indicate two braces attached at their ends to the frame members A andthe cross bar G before described, and N is a cross bar attached at its ends to said braces. Secured at one end to the underside of the latter and preferably centrally of the machine is a pair of angle bars 0 whose rear ends are suspended from the cross-bar G and support a seat 0 at the rear extremities.

Erected between and pivoted to the angle bars 0 is a hand lever P having pivotal connection with the reach L L through the straps K before referred to. Attached to the lower end of the lever below its pivot is one end of a contractile spring P connected at its other end to an adjustable eye bolt P which extends through a bracket P attached to one of the angle bars 0 there being Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

a nut Pt for adjusting said eye bolt to var-y Q the tension of said'spring.

Mounted upon the two angle bars immediately behindthe cross bar Gare two upright castings Q, lying parallel to one another and spaced apart to admit a foot lever B, and a rock-arm S carried by and secured to a rock-shaft T, by means of a pin U,.Fig.

l0, said rock-shaft having its bearings in both the members Q and extending beyond each side of them as shown, each having fixed thereon a casting V to each of which is attached a foot lever W. The rock-arm as shown in the present instance is triangular in form and one of its three corners re ceives the shaft T mentioned, while at one of-the other corners this member is pivoted to the footlever 'R'byfmeans of a bolt 2. The third corner of the'triangle receives a bolt 3 which serves .to connectsaid triangle bymea'ns of two links 4 with the hand lever P, a bolt 5 serving as the means to attach the links to said'le'ver. The foot lever B at itsrear is provided with a hooked latch 6 adapted to engage a'stop fixed between the members Q. In practice this said stop '7 preferably consists of a short iece of tubing'through which passes a bolt 8 which extends through both members Q as shown in Fig. 9. The leverB is provided with a slot 9 which is described from the pivot bolt 2' and the forward edge ofsaid lever has a projection 10 which, as shown; in Fig. 10, carriesalug 11 at its side adjacent the'rockarm described. The latter has cast with itv abarrel-IQ within which said lug 11' extends there beinga compression spring. 13 in said barrel one end resting upon the bottom of the latter the other exerting pressure up-' ward against the lug 11. 'The said spring in exerting its pressure upon the lugll'and'in lying at one side of the bolt 2 causes the foot lever to tilt so thatits hook always has a downward tendency.

In the .raking position the parts assume the position shownin Fig. 7; The foot lever R and the hand lever P occupy the forward position while the foot levers W are raised to a positionwhere full power can b'e exerted downward upon them from the operators seat. lVhen the levers occupythis-position therock-arm S preferably'mayrestup'on an anvil lafi Fig. 6, securedlon the cross-bar G.

' This consists of a memberslotted at 1 5 and having a vertically extending portion-'16 arching oversaid slot and which recelves said rock-arm S. Said anvil is adjustable laterally on the said crossbar and issecured in position by means of a bolt 17 passing through its slot. When the hand lever P and the otherparts occupy the forward position thereach BL is also in the forward position with the teethE of the rake bearing upon the ground as a natural consequence; As: suming-now that the teeth are to be lifted with load theoperator grasps the hand lever P to draw it rearward and at the same time depressing the foot leversW'. This, aided bythe pull of the spring P, and that ofthe horses through the swingle trees and the links K, draws the reach L L backward tothe position shown in Fig. 8. However in practice. I have found that by adjusting the tension of the spring the teeth under nor-v mal conditions can be raisedby it and the horses without any help from the operator I whatever so that. as a matter of fact except for the other uses described the levermech anismcould be dispensed with still'being available as an aid. During this backward movement the point of the latch 6 of the lever It meets the stop 7 at about the position shown in Fig. 9 and moves thesaid lever on itspivot bolt 2, this beingpermitted by the slot 9:of said lever. This compresses the spring 13 and as the'latch passes over said stop 7 the said spring causes it to drop down behind or beneath said member automati for a succeeding lifting operation. In lifting. the lever R in the unlatching operation T then lyingiin the forward part of theslot 9 so that the said shaft becomesa fulcrum for the said lever. Now, the rock-arm Sin' beingfixed on said shaft is forced downward by the bolt 2 so that its'end having the links i is placed upon the-anvil 14:. I The anvil is adjustable longitudinally of the machine or in line with the direction of advance; Thisis done to limit the degree of depression of the V rock-arm S. That is to say, in one of the positions as, for instance in Fig. 7 the con- I necting bolt 3 has been forced down belowa line extending between the bolt 5 and the shaft T'constitutmg a toggle and forming a from the reach due to the pull of the horses} look so that pressure in a rearward direction;

through the links K would tendrather to force the bolt 3 still lower but in any casef j this pressure could not in. any way change below a line extending through the point of the adjustment of the parts. Evidently, the bolt 3, e. the point of connection of the parts -l and arm S, may alsobe made to pass connection of'th'e reach'L with therake accomplish the intended result in the event that the reach were a single member connected directly to and between :the said rake head and the pivot shaft T ofythe arm S to I 100- just mentioned it is moved on theipivot bolt 2 to the position shown in Fig. 5, the shaft head and said arm S and where the lever P might not be used as above stated. However, in practice it is preferable to permit the points of the teeth to rise and fall as they move along the ground when meeting obstructions so that breakages would not be likely as might result if the parts were not allowed to yield. The anvil 14, therefore, if set nearer the lever B than shown in Fig. 7 would not permit the end of the arm S to descend as low as shown and the pivot bolt 3 can be made to lie a little above the line referred to. In striking an obstruction the teeth will now be allowed to rise but the foot of the operator maintains a steady pressure upon the lever R or such as to overcome the tension or pull of the spring P and the pull of the horses that might be sufiicient to partially raise the teeth. But the center of the pivot bolts 3 and 5 and the shaft T are, of course, kept so nearly in line that these stresses are slight as compared with that at the time the teeth are being raised and when the rock-arm S and the links 4: assume positions substantially at right angles as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. The lever B is slotted about the shaft T merely to allow it to look behind the stop 7 by means of its hook but other means of providing for latching the lever may, of course, be resorted to, it being understood that as the spring 13 is placed at one side of the pivot-bolt 2 of the lever R the latch 6 must always meet the stop 7 as the lever moves toward it.

As stated herein the disadvantage of previous structures in rakes of this type is the extreme effort required of the operator to raise the loaded rake-head even when assisted by the pull of horses; the structures being such as to aid very little in this effort. Again, when lowering the rake teeth almost the same effort is required in preventing the rake head slamming upon the ground. Besides this in many implements the position of the parts relatively is such as to be almost dangerous to handle. In my improved structure I am enabled to lift the rake with extreme ease even without the aid of the horses which is an impossibility in some of the older types. I do not confine myself to the exact structures or arrangement of parts, however, since slight variations may be made that will still lie within the meaning of the invention.

Figs. 3 and 4: show a novel form of casting. It is employed at the rear end of the frame A and forms a very convenient fitting for the caster-wheel B. It comprises a central vertical hub-portion bored to receive the stem B of the wheel. It also has an upper and lower horizontal web I) spaced apart and shouldered at g to receive the ends of bars 0 secured by bolts (Z. The other ends of the bars are secured to the frame A for in stance by bolts 6. Cast with the webs b are vertical webs h at the front and rear, and other webs j below are provided for strengthening purposes. This furnishes a very con venient and strong arrangement in a single piece that aids materially in shortening the time required to assemble the parts of the ra re.

The form of the rake frame at its rear end I believe is new and novel. I mount upon the angled members M the cross-member N and attach to it and the bar G the bars 0, or their equivalent, upon which the seat 0 is supported. This makes a strong structure and the said bars A. form a convenient way of mounting the operating parts and said seat and the latter can be adjusted along said bars to the best position to accommodate a tall or short person so that the levers can be readily reached.

In some of the claims I shall use the term reach structure. reach L and the hand lever P together with the parts 4, the hand lever being an intervening part of the reach structure. Evidently, the reach L could be attached directly to the rock arm S. The lever P could then have attachment to it in some manner other than that shown whereby it could swing in an are described from its pivot on the frame 0 without interfering with the movement peculiar to the reach.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a push rake, the combination of a wheeled main frame, a rake head pivoted to the forward end of the frame, a rock arm pivoted on the frame, a reach structure con necting the arm and rake-head, a fixed stop, and a latch carried by and movable with the arm and engaging the stop.

2. In a push rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivotally supported at its forward end, a rock-arm pivotally mounted on the frame, a reach structure connecting the rake-head and the rock-arm, a stop on the frame, a latch carried by the rock-arm to engage the stop, and a foot lever fixed relatively to the said rock-arm.

3. In a push rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivoted at its forward end, a rock arm pivotally mounted on the frame, a reach structure connecting the latter with the rake-head, a lever pivoted to the arm, means to limit its pivotal movement thereon, a stop on the rake frame, and a latch on the said foot lever to engage the stop.

In a push rake the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivoted at its forward end, a rock arm pivoted on the frame, a reach structure pivoted to the arm at one end and to the rake-head at the other, the point of connection of the reach structure and the arm in the gathering position of the rake teeth lying below a line extending By this I mean thethrough the'point of connection of said main frame, a rake-head pivoted at its forward end, a rock-arm pivotally mounted on theframe, a reach structure connectingthe arm and'the rake-head, a member pivoted relative to the arm and including a part to limit its movement with respect thereto and also including a latch, a stop, andmeans to elastically hold the latch atone of its extreme-positions and in position to engage the said stop. v

I 7. In a push rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivoted at its forward end, a rock arm pivotally mounted on the frame, a reach structure connecting the arm" and rake-head, a member pivoted to the arm and adapted to pivot relatively thereto parallel to the-plane of its own move ment said member includinga part to limit its pivotal movement on the arm and also including a latch, astop lying in the path of the latch as it moves with the arm, and a spring to hold the latch in position to meet said stop. 7

8. In a push rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake head pivoted at its forward end, a rock arm pivotally mountcdon the frame, a reach structure connecting the arm and rake head, a member pivoted to the arm and adapted to rock thereon substantially parallel to the direction of the pivotal movement of said arm, said member including 'a part to limit its pivotal movement relatively to the latter,and also including a latch, a stop lying in the-path of the latch as it moveswithjthe arm, a spring to hold the latch in position to meet said stop, and a foot lever extension on the arm.

9. In a push rake, the combination of a.

main frame, a rake head pivoted at its forward end,"a rock arm pivotally mounted on the frame, a reach structure connecting the,

arm and rake-head, a member pivoted to the arm and adapted to rock thereonsubstantially parallelto the direction of the pivotal movement of said arm, said member including 'a part extending below its pivot and provided with a slot, a part 011 the frame to'engage in the slot and limitthe move-'- ment'of the member, saidmember also in-. cluding an integral latch portion, a stop with which thelatch engages, and a spring engaging the member and constantly tendingto hold its latch portion in the direction' of the stop, said member also including a lever portion uprising therefrom,

10. In apush rake the combination of a mainframe, a'rake-head pivoted at its for Ward end, alever pivoted onithe frame, a

reach connecting the lever and the rake head, a rock arm p voted on the frame and including a lever as a part thereof, means to i c '75, limit the arm in its downward movement, J V anda member connecting with said'arm and the first named lever,"the point of cconnec-' I tionof the said member with thearm lying below a line extendingthrough the supporting pivot of the said arm and 'the point of "connection f the member "and the lever when the rake teeth" are in the lowest posi-jl 7 .tion. r ,v r

11. In a push rake, the combination of a' mainframe, a'rake-headpivoted at its forward'end, a rock armpi'voted on the frame,

a two" part reach connected between the o arm and the rake-head, a 'lever plvoted on V the frame and having the'twoparts of the reach'pivoted to it, the rock armbeinglim- I 7 ited in its downward movementand forming alook through the reach to hold the rake teeth'down at theirpoints, adraft' device pivoted between its ends to the main frame'forthe attachment of a draft animal at one end, and means connecting its other end with the saidreach.

12. In a push rake the combination'of a main frame,"a rake-head pivoted at its for- Wardend, a rockarm'pivoted on the frame, a Iver also pivoted on the frame between the rake-head and the arm, a two-part reach connected to the lever, one of the parts being connected to the rakeehead and'the other tothe'arm, means to limit'the rock arm' in' its downward movement and the two+part 5 reach and the arm adapted for forming a lock to holdthe rake'teeth down at their points, a draft device pivoted be-f tween its ends to the main frame for the attachment of a draft animal at'' one end,

means connectingv its other end with the said-reach, vand a springattached atone end "to the lever and at its other endto the main frame and constantly tending to lift the rake teeth; I

13. In a push rake, thecombina tion of'a i main frame, a rake head'pivoted at its for-1 Ward endpa rock-arm pivoted on'the frame,

a reach structure connecting the rake head and the rock arm, the latter being limited in its downward linovementjby the frame, a draft device pivoted to the frame between] its ends rearward of'the arm, for the attachment; of a draft animal at one end, and means connecting the other end of the draft device" with the reach, therock arm due to its limit of downward movement' adapted to holdftherake teeth'upon the ground in opposition to the pull of the draft device upon said reach.

1 In a push rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake head pivoted at its forward end, a lever pivoted on the frame rearward of the head, a reach connecting the lever and head, a rock arm including a lever pivoted to the frame, a link connecting the arm and lever, the link and arm constituting a toggle look, a stop beneath and for receiving the toggle and limiting its downward movement, a spring connecting the lever to the main frame and constantly tending to lift the rake teeth through the said lever, a draft device pivoted on the frame rearward of the lever, means to connect one end of the said draft device with the reach, a latch attached to the arm, and a stop in the path of the latch to receive the same.

15. In a push rake, the combination of a main frame, a rake-head pivoted at its forward end, a lever pivoted on the frame rearward of the head, a reach connecting the lever and head, a rock arm including a lever pivoted to the frame, a link connecting the arm and first-named lever, the link and arm constituting a toggle lock, a stop beneath and for receiving the toggle and limiting its downward movement, a spring connected between the said first-named lever and the main frame and constantly tending to lift the rake teeth through the said lever, a draft device pivoted on the frame rearward of the lever, means to connect one end of the said draft device with the reach, a latch attached to the arm. a stop in the path of the latch to receive the same, and a spring engaging the latch to hold it in the direction of the stop.

16. The combination in a hay rake, of its main frame and a liftable rakehead, a foot lever pivoted on the frame including an arm, reach mechanism connecting the arm and the rake-head, a member pivoted between its ends to said arm and having an opening spaced from its pivot, means on the frame lying within the opening and limiting the pivotal movement of the member relative to the arm, a stop fixed relative to the frame, and a latch constituting an integral part of the member adapted in its movement to engage the stop.

17. The combination in a hay rake, of its main frame and a rake-head, an arm pivoted on the frame including a foot lever extension, reach mechanism connecting the arm and the rake-head, a member pivoted on said arm including an integral part constituting a latch, means to limit the movement of the member relative to the arm, and a stop on the frame lying in the path of the latch with which the latter in its movement with the arm is adapted to automatically engage.

18. The combination in a hay rake, of its main frame and a rake-head, an arm pivoted on the frame, reach mechanism connecting the arm and the rake-head, a member pivoted on said arm including an integral part constituting a latch, means to limit the movement of the member relative to the arm, a stop on the frame lying in the path of the latch with which the latter inits movement with the arm is adapted to automatically engage, and means to hold the latch vieldingly in the path of the stop.

19. The combination in a hay rake, of its main frame and a rake-head, an arm pivoted on the frame including a foot lever extension, reach mechanism connecting the arm and the rake-head, a member pivoted on the arm and including a foot lever extension above its pivot, means to limit the pivotal movement of the member relative to the arm, a stop on the frame, and a latch rearward of the pivot of said member constituting an integral part of the latter and adapted in its path of movement to engage the stop and maintain the parts in a fixed position relative to the frame.

20. In a latch mechanism for a hay rake, a pivotally mounted manually operated arm having a weight to be lifted attached thereto, a manually operated member pivoted to the arm including an integral latch, means to limit the movement of the member, a stationary stop lying in the path of the latch, andmeans to hold the member elastically in one of its extreme positions for engaging the stop.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST 0. SMITH.

Witnesses:

W. I. SLnMMoNs, L. M. THURLOW.

{Jopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, lay-addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

